Maines can be colored very differently, but genetically, like all other cats, the Maine Coon has only two colors: black and red. The remaining colors are variations on the theme of two natural colors, the result of the painstaking work of breeders. That is, if you have a red Maine Coon cat or a black Maine Coon solid cat, it means that you are the happy owner of a cat that carries the genetic code of the distant ancestors of the modern “raccoon” cat from Maine.
Any Maine Coon color is a combination of black and red pigments
However, for many novice Maine owners, the problem is the felinological terminology itself. What to do if you know only two cat colors, tabby and non-tabby, and your attention is offered to a black marbled or cream solid Maine Coon? Let's try to figure it out.
How would this be scientific?
The types of colors of Maine Coon cats in the unified international EMS system are assigned codes consisting of letters and numbers, each of which indicates a particular color characteristic:
- main color
| n | black |
| a | blue |
| d | red |
| e | cream |
| f | black turtle |
| g | blue cream turtle |
| s | silver or smoke (manifestation of one gene, but patterned individuals are called silver, and solid ones “smoky”) |
| w | white (may be due to the manifestation of different genes) |
- presence and type of white spots
| 01 | van (white individual with a small spot, spots of the main color) |
| 02 | harlequin (two thirds of the individual is white) |
| 03 | two-color or bicolor |
| 09 | with white (less than half white) |
- the presence of a pattern on the fur and its appearance
| 22 | marbled or classic tabby (“M” on the forehead and beautiful “butterflies” on the sides of the individual) |
| 23 | brindle tabby or mackerel (“M” on the forehead and stripes all over the body) |
| 24 | spotted (Maine Coons have torn tiger or merle) |
| 21 | agouti factor (recorded when it is clear that the animal is a tabby, but it is not clear what kind of pattern it is) |
| 11 | shaded (tabby on silver with a blurry pattern on the body) |
| 12 | chinchilla - black series of colors, cameo - red series (very strong silver, in which the animal looks almost white with a slight touch of the main tone, sometimes completely white) |
- eye color (not always indicated)
| 61 | blue - blue |
| 62 | yellow, golden - yellow, orange, golden, etc. |
| 63 | oddeyed - disagreement |
| 64 | green - green |
In terms of primary color, the following Maine Coon colors are allowed: black, white, red, blue, cream, cream-blue and tortoiseshell. Shades of chocolate and cinnamon are strictly prohibited for Maine Coons.
Tortoiseshell
The tortoiseshell Maine Coon comes in two types – torby and torty.
The first type is a combination of red and black shades of wool, expressed in a dark brown color. The torti has a greater addition of red with dark cream. Of particular interest is the fact that tortoiseshell coloring is most often found in cats.
The probability of a male being born with this coloring is approximately 1 in 1000.
On such cats, markings of different sizes and shapes are more clearly visible. Based on the severity of these spots, several colors can be distinguished:
- calico;
- flap;
- chintz.
These cats are characterized by the presence of red shades of fur. The classic color, consisting of three colors, is obtained by mixing black and red. This makes the coat more variegated. There are also several tortoiseshell shades.
Scaly tortoiseshell
Reminiscent of fish scales, the order of spots on the body is checkerboard. These spots alternate in black and red tones and are unevenly distributed. Any one of the colors may predominate.
Calico and solid tortoiseshell (patchwork)
The spots of black and red color resemble flaps. They have defined boundaries and can overlap each other. If the wool has white patches, this color is called “tortoiseshell white” or calico. Red and black spots are solid in color and clearly visible on the animal’s body.
Patterned tortoiseshell
Multi-colored spots have a pronounced pattern. These may be spots or stripes, but marbled colors are also common. There may be small white spots. In this case, it is fashionable to say that the color is spotted tabby or tabby with white spots.
"Smoky" beauties
“Smoky” cats look very impressive, especially when their shiny, well-groomed fur sways and shimmers in the light. The smoky color is due to the fact that the root of each cat’s hair is white, and the end is colored, and with different intensities. For example, in a Maine Coon, black smoke has a strong base color.
In international coding, this sign is marked with the Latin letter S, which, depending on the interpretation, can mean smoke (smoke) or silver (silver). According to the degree of hair coloring, smokiness is divided into the following categories:
- regular smoke - half the hair is dyed;
- shaded smoke - a quarter of the hair is dyed;
- chinchilla – one-eighth of the hair is dyed.
color blue smoke
color red smoke
color black smoke
Exquisite Silver
The silver coon stands somewhat apart in this gradation. This is such a light coat color that it is very difficult to distinguish it from white, especially in childhood. A silver Maine Coon kitten is usually identified by the color of its iris: a white Maine most likely has blue eyes, and a silver Maine has green eyes. Over time, the silver coat darkens a little, and a pattern called “tabby” (discussed below) becomes more pronounced on it. Cats of this color are generally very attractive and unusual, but the so-called “marble on silver” looks especially elegant, when wide spiral stripes are run along the silvery fur, reminiscent of marble patterns.
color silver tabby
color tortoiseshell silver bicolor
color red silver
Maine Coon colors: color options and professional coding
From a genetic point of view, Maine Coons have two main coat colors – red and black. All other shades are different variations of the basic ones. All the variety of colors and patterns appears due to the special distribution of hair pigment, which determines the color of the animal.
Determining the hereditary color allows you to find out which cat's offspring will appear. Maine Coons are no exception here. To do this, breeders use special tables with formulas that will tell the color of future kittens. Based on them, you can decide how to cross the adults to get the desired result.
Maine Coons of different shades.
Bicolor or not bicolor?
The main color of the maine can be complemented by clearly defined white spots of different sizes. Some owners call any white-spotted cat “bicolor,” but this is not entirely true. White spots also have their own official names:
- “buttons” - small spots all over the body;
- “gloves” - white paw tips;
- “medallion” - a spot on the chest;
- “harlequin” - white background with large colored spots;
- "van" - predominantly white with color only on the head and tail;
- “tuxedo” (felinology does not formally use this definition, but it is widely used among cat owners) – white legs and chest, contrasting with the main color.
And bicolor is the official name of a color in which white and colored wool are present in a ratio of 50x50.
color black bicolor
color red bicolor
color blue bicolor
Painted cats
The coat pattern often found among Maines is called tabby or, if pronounced in English, tabby. Scientists claim that tabby is present in the genotype of all cats without exception - they inherited it from their wild forest ancestors. The pattern is obtained due to the fact that, under the influence of a certain gene, the color of cat hair is zoned. Simply put, this means that the hair is not monochrome, but striped, as can be seen upon closer inspection.
Depending on how the light and dark areas are located on an individual hair, one or another pattern is formed on the wool. Tabby is divided into various "patterns", for example:
- brindle color is continuous parallel stripes;
- spotted – intermittent stripes;
- classic - marble stains.
The latter looks best on a black Maine Coon; the black tabby Maine looks surprisingly noble.
tabby color merle
tabby brindle color
tabby color spotted
Elegant ticking
A type of pattern that is uncharacteristic for Maines is ticked. With this color, the entire mass of the coat consists of striped (ticked) hair in the absence of a pronounced pattern (its residual signs can be on the legs, chest and forehead). Ticking is more common among Abyssinian cats; Maine Coons with this color are very rare. These cats look very elegant, especially the black ticked one.
color silver ticked
color red ticked
color ticked
The charm of diversity
Tortoiseshell color is a good omen - many believe that multi-colored cats bring their owners good luck in all endeavors. This may not be true, but they definitely bring joy and aesthetic pleasure.
The pied Maine Coon, especially with “smoke,” is incredibly picturesque. And in this case, it is not so important whether it is a classic “tortoiseshell” (randomly scattered spots of any color except white), or spotted brown, reminiscent of autumn foliage in color, or creamy blue tortoiseshell, combining delicate pastel shades. Without exception, all the “turtles” are magnificent!
tortoiseshell color
smoky tortoiseshell color
color tortoiseshell bicolor
Solid color – for respectable cats
Solid colors without patterns (or with weakly expressed “shadow” patterns) are called solids. One of the rarest is the completely red Maine Coon, scientifically speaking - the red solid.
color red solid
color red solid
color red solid
At the same time, shades of red are found very often among coons, and the red Maine Coon kitten is perhaps the most common offer on the “cat” market. The point here is that on red wool the pattern appears brighter than on any other, and in this case it is practically impossible to get rid of the residual tabby.
However, this is not a problem; stripes and spots do not spoil the red maines at all. The red marbled Maine Coon is especially beautiful. This color is characterized by smooth transitions from red to almost brown, creating a unique effect of color play.
color red marble
color red marble
color red marbled with white (bicolor)
Mystical black
Black cats always attract attention. And a Maine Coon with a solid black color is something special. A chic, graceful panther in a black silk fur coat and a “wild” look! However, this luxury requires special care. Black color in the cat world is a complex phenomenon. It’s like a veil thrown over the usual stripes. Therefore, in kittens with this color, up to a certain age, a pattern is visible, the so-called “residual tabby”. Then the skin begins to bloom and the cat appears in all its dark beauty.
But stripes and spots tend to pop out from under the veil if not properly cared for or fed! Black cats participating in exhibitions and preserving the deep black color of their fur are forced to follow a special diet (the food should never contain beets!), and also avoid direct sunlight. From all this, black wool can acquire an uneven brown tint.
color black solid
color black solid
color black solid
Blue like the sky
Blue maines deserve special mention, which are not yet very widespread in our country, but in the West they have long won universal love and admiration. In Russia, it is rare to hear even the correct name for the color - usually a blue Maine Coon is simply called gray, although this rich and beautiful color can hardly be called that. There are many variations of blue coloring, and it is difficult to choose - the blue solid Maine Coon is simply delightful, but the blue marble looks, perhaps, even more interesting. However, the greatest delight is caused by the Maine Coon of the “blue smoke” color - when moving, such a cat shimmers with the richest shades, from graphite gray to pearlescent.
color blue solid
color blue solid
color blue solid
What is the danger of white people?
Maines in light shades also look luxurious. But caution must be exercised here. White coat color may indicate some genetic abnormalities. In particular, the white coon may be deaf. To be on the safe side, you should probably switch to a cream Maine Coon - cats of this color are no less pleasing to the eye. On the other hand, a cat with any disabilities can become the most beloved!
color white solid
color white solid
color white solid
Hygiene and health
Maine Coons, due to their natural origin, are quite unpretentious, however, their long hair with a thick undercoat requires appropriate care, otherwise tangles cannot be avoided, which cause discomfort to the animal and look untidy
To prevent their formation, brush your cat twice a week, paying special attention to the armpits, belly and panties. It is advisable to accustom the kitten to the procedure from childhood so that problems do not arise in adulthood.
You should wash your pet as soon as it gets dirty. As a rule, problems arise with this because coons love water, although there are exceptions here.
Keep an eye on your pet's eyes and ears - they should be clean and free of discharge.
These smart giants have no problems with toilet training. Kittens learn basic skills from their parents, and they come to their new home with the correct ideas about “dos” and “don’ts.” The only thing the owner has to worry about is purchasing the right tray. It should be deep and roomy. The ideal option is a toilet house. A special filter is built into its “roof” that absorbs foreign odors. There are no special requirements regarding the choice of litter - everyone chooses the option that seems more convenient and suits a particular cat.
In general, Maine Coons are characterized by fairly good health, but they have their own special diseases. In particular, cats and cats of this breed are susceptible to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It mainly affects older animals, but the pathology also occurs at a young age. In addition, due to their large size and significant weight, representatives of the breed experience problems with the musculoskeletal system, so it is strictly forbidden to overfeed your pet and allow the development of obesity.
The average lifespan of a coon is 12–14 years, but some individuals lived up to 18.
